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RMC prof pans Cherry honour

Controversial hockey commentator Don Cherry has been selected to receive an honorary doctorate from Royal Military College - but not everyone is happy about it.

The college's senate approved the awarding at a recent closed-door meeting.

In a letter to media, RMC French professor Catherine Lord criticized the college's decision to honour Cherry.

"On many occasions, he publicly expressed his contempt for many groups of the Canadian population, notably for the French-speaking Canadians, for the (lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans­gendered) community and for the immigrants," Lord wrote.

"RMC is increasingly representative of the diverse society in which we live. RMC is a strong and unifying place; it makes Canadians proud and attracts year after year dynamic and intelligent young adults," she wrote.

"These students certainly feel Canadians first, regardless of their spiritual beliefs, their political allegiance, their sexual orientation, their mother tongue or their cultural background."

Honorary doctorates are granted to people nominated by members of the college senate, which is composed of the college's commandant, the principal, the deans of the faculties of arts, science, engineering, continuing studies and graduate studies and research, the director of cadets, the RMC St-Jean academic director and a faculty representative.

The candidate's merit is debated and the senate members vote on who should receive the doctorates. Usually, about two such awards are presented at each convocation.

Who nominated Cherry and the discussions around his suitability as a recipient were not made public.

"For more than two decades, Don Cherry has been a supporter of the military and of military families," said college spokesperson Capt. Cynthia Kent.

"He also has personal ties to RMC."

Cherry's mother worked as a tailor at the college. His grandfather, Richard Palamountain, worked at the college before enlisting to fight in the First World War. After the war, Palamountain returned to work at the college until shortly before his death in 1934.

Cherry's other grandfather, Jack Cherry, was a member of the North West Mounted Police and one of the first members of the RCMP.

Known for his outlandish suits and his controversial embrace of a rough-and-tumble style of hockey, Cherry was under fire last month for criticizing a trio of retired hockey players who called for an end to fighting in the game.

Cherry apologized after the players he criticized threatened legal action.

"Don Cherry is certainly a public personality who can polarize opinions," Kent said.

But it's Cherry's position on non-hockey issues that has some RMC staff disappointed with plans to present him with an honorary doctorate.

In her letter, Lord questioned what kind of message granting the honorary doctorate would send to the rest of the country.

"What message will RMC send, in celebrating Don Cherry, to the students coming from these groups? And what will the Canadian people remember from RMC, as a serious and prestigious institution?"

The doctorate would not be the first honour given to Cherry by the Canadian Forces.

In 2008, then chief of the defence staff Gen. Rick Hillier awarded Cherry the Canadian Forces Medallion for Distinguished Service for his support of the military.

The previous year, Cherry was made an honorary lifetime member of the Royal Canadian Legion.

In 2005, Cherry was also granted honorary membership in the Ontario Association of Police.

Cherry's support for the military includes frequent mentions on Coach's Corner on CBC's Hockey Night in Canada, visits with military personnel deployed overseas and fundraising work for military families.

Cherry's is one of three honorary degrees to be presented at the Nov. 17 convocation.

Former faculty member at RMC and commandant of College militaire royal de St. Jean, retired Brigadier General John (Jack) Cadieux, will receive his degree posthumously.

Lt.-Col. John Desmond Gibson will receive a degree for his 40 years of military service and his longtime volunteer work.